Purpose
Safety for all people is paramount in the workplaces. Safe workplaces are based on strategic measures put in place to avoid incidents in the places of work. As a result, there are predetermined procedures employed in various places to enhance the safety of the people. In many cases, the safety procedures are outlined in regulations and notification that relate to possible hazards. The purpose of this report is to analyse the potential risks that may result during students’ tour of a library. The report also provides recommendations on the possible measures to mitigate the risks.
Findings
Description
The report is based on students’ tour of TAFE Ultimo Library. The tour is planned to take place in the second week of term two semester one. It is supposed to familiarise the students with the resources that are at their disposal in the library. The tour is to cover all the levels of the library. During the tour, the staffs that will be involved include the fashion teacher only. The teacher has not informed the library personnel of the visit and she plans to carry out the tour without assistance. The tour includes will include a group of students ranging between 16 and 20. In the group, there are two students with physical disabilities. One student has a fractured leg; hence, the student is a wheelchair while the second student is visually impaired.
WHS information
Communication and provision of the right information that relate to Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) is an important aspect in the elimination and prevention of incidents and accidents in the workplace. In many workplaces, it is a common requirement that all the staffs have the knowledge on the health and safety procedures that relate to the workplace. It is the responsibility of the employers to ensure that the necessary measures are taken to enhance the safety of all people in the workplaces. In order to improve the safety, the fashion teacher should have adequate information on the WHS.
The teacher should understand the possible risks in the different levels of the library and how the risks can be minimised. It is also the responsibility of the teacher to work with the right people in order to avoid the possible risks. Staffs with proper understanding of the area being toured normally guide induction tours. Therefore, before undertaking the tour, the teacher should visit the following website it will provide a glimpse of the safety issues to be considered.
Services at TAFE Ultimo Library
There are wide range services available at the TAFE Ultimo Library. The services are meant to enhance safety and ensure that students utilise their time optimally in the library. One of the key services that the fashion teacher could utilise is the library tour and workshops service. The service is designed to provide induction tours and important workshops for individuals and groups. Another service the teacher could utilise is the library utilisation tour. The service is offered to new and students returning after to the library after a long absence. The primary aim of the service is to give basic induction on the use of library catalogue and provides guided overview of the services offered in the library. The following website provides detailed information on the services at TAFE Ultimo Library.
Risks associated with the Tour
Falling objects
Falling objects is a possible risk associated with the library visit. In the library, there are various equipment and books on the shelves. The students may want to access the books and without proper induction, poor access to the materials may result in unintended objects falling, which may injure the students. In addition, there is a visually impaired student. This presents a risk because without proper guidance, the student may hit objects in the library, which may result in objects falling.
Falls
The student in the wheelchair may have difficulties in accessing some areas in the library. There is thus the need of a staff to guide the student through the routes designated for people with such disabilities. The lack of a guide may result in the other students carrying the student through dangerous places such as the stairs, which exposes the students risks of fall for the students. Slippery floors may increase the risk.
Heat stress
The visit is planned to take place between 1 pm. A single teacher cannot subdivide the students to small groups during the visit; thus, the group of students may end up crowding in some places with inadequate ventilation. As a result, there is a risk of heat stress especially in the small rooms. There is thus the possibility of raising body temperatures and shortage of breath, which can cause fainting.
Risk Ratings
The following is the rating of the three risks. The analysis is based on risk matrix tables provided in the appendix.
Likelihood Rating.
Risk Consequence Descriptors.
Recommendations
The tour of the TAFE Ultimo Library is likely to encounter problems that may threaten the continuity of the event. A single teacher will encounter problems in coordinating and controlling the students. The presence of two students with physical disabilities makes it possible for the event to have challenges in touring the library without staff assistant. The risks could be minimised by informing the library staff prior to the visit in order tom prepare for induction services. Induction is paramount before the commencement of work or activity. For instance, induction ensures that the health and safety requirement for a particular activity are communicated to the staff, students and visitors. The induction normally depends on the activity being taken and relates to the WHS guidelines. A detailed explanation of the nature of the visit will help the librarians to prepare for the tour and examine the possible areas of health hazards; hence, mitigate the potential risks.
Appendix: Risk Matrix Tables
Table 1: Likelihood Ratings.
Table 2: Risk Consequence Descriptors.
Table 3: Level of Risk Matrix.
- Extreme risk – immediate action required;
- High risk – Attention needed to develop risk reduction strategies;
- Moderate risk – specific risk reduction strategies needed;
- Low risk – manage using existing controls.